The present invention relates to an in-ear hearing aid comprising an electric/acoustic transducer system as defined in the preamble of claim 1. The invention furthermore relates to a method for manufacturing an in-ear hearing aid as claimed in the preamble of claim 9.
Soiling is a problem in in-ear hearing aids, in particular as regards the acoustic device's output facing the ear drum. Such soiling degrades hearing-aid operation and requires periodic cleaning. The conventionally used aperture in the hearing aid housing used as acoustic output and coupled to the electric/acoustic transducer in this respect entails significant cleaning problems.
The European patent document 0,548,580 discloses using a membrane at the in-ear hearing aid to seal said housing, said membrane being coupled, as in the case of the actual loudspeaker diaphragm, with the loudspeakers motor drive. As a result the hearing aid design is comparatively more complex and so are the steps required to couple the said membrane to the loudspeaker drive and to assure that said membrane shall not be degraded by cleaning.